山田 路子 MICHIKO YAMADA
Michiko, born in Narashino, Chiba, has been mentored by a Nohgaku Fue-kata (flute) artist Yukihiro Isso of Isso school. She is learning the classical skills of playing the traditional transverse flute, shinobue and nohkan, exploring the new ways and techniques to express her world through organizing concerts, teaching in shinobue lessons, and releasing her own CDs. She is also an active member of Chikugen Bayashi, a unit with a guitar, and Uchiage Hanabi, with a Taiko.
2004 Red Brick Concert at Tokyo Station. Kid’s Guernica in Bali.
2007 Ink poem Hokuetsu Seppu Yuki no Kaidan. Live concert of Uchiage Hanabi. Yukihiro Isso Ohiyari 16 at National Noh Theater.
2008 Power of Music in Narashino. Dance performance by Adam Benjamin. Miyuki Kawanaka Special Stage at Meijiza Theater as Uchiage Hanabi.
2009 Japan Danube Friendship Year 2009 presented by Japan Foundation in Hungary, Bulgaria, Poland.
2010 Spoleto Festival in Italy.
Michiko Plays the Shinobue
INSTRUMENT
SHINOBUE
Shinobue is a Japanese flute made of bamboo. It is played in festivals, religious rituals, folk dance and song, and kabuki music. Of all types of Japanese flute, the one applied in festivities is called festival or classical shinobue.
The flute does not have standards in length of the tube or number of the keys, which vary in regions and purpose. On the other hand, a shinobue applied in kabuki songs has a standard of six or seven keys with the western musical scale which makes it easy to adapt with the western instruments today. Traditionally, shinobue was played by ear, with notes passed down from generation to generation.
The players of shinobue are Michiko Yamada and Kohei Inoue.